The present invention relates to hygienic systems and more particularly to flushing apparatus having a high pressure nozzle to break up waste material and a velocity increasing structure to improve an outflow of waste material to lower an amount of wasted water required for flushing and to provide improved hygienic properties.
Conventional hygienic systems may be categorized in several varieties. In the United States, a standard toilet 2 (see FIG. 1) utilizes approximately three gallons of water per flush. Furthermore, known low flow water toilets utilizes approximately one and half gallons of water for a flush. These known toilets utilize a tank of water, e.g., a tank positioned above the toilet with a capacity between at least one-and-half gallons and more than three gallons, to release water from a relatively short vertical distance. During a toilet flush, water from the tank is released from a vertical distance less than one to two feet above a toilet bowl. In contrast to the standard toilet, European toilets utilize a tank mounted approximately six feet above the toilet bowl to increase its static head and resulting in a “cleaning force” due to gravity (i.e., conversion of the static head or potential energy to moving water with kinetic energy) but still require a substantial volume of water per flush.
In other words, know systems rely on gravity and a large volume of water to move solid and liquids in the toilet bowl through an outlet port, utilizing only a comparatively low-pressure flow. The low-pressure flow, in many instances, will not provide adequate clearing and/or cleaning of the toilet bowl and/or toilet channel when a large amount of liquid and/or solid mass becomes deposited and/or splashed inside the toilet bowl. Furthermore, when dropping solids into the toilet bowl or when flushing the system, solid and/or liquids may occasionally splash out of the bowl and possibly onto an individual using the toilet. Additionally, large solid masses may clog the toilet channel causing an overflow of the toilet bowl. Thus, these systems have a tendency to produce an unhygienic environment which may cause the spread of bacteria, and even illness, for individuals in proximity to or using the device, when dropping solids into static water.
Other problems with known systems include that water held in the tank required to operate the system is held by until needed, by a plunger, and/or other valve. The plunger connects or disconnect from a rubber seal. The rubber seal prevents water from leaking from the tank into the toilet bowl until manually, automatically, or semi-automatically opened. If the rubber seal becomes worn or damaged, which occurs during repeated movements of the plunger, the seal will leak. When leaking occurs, water is lost from the tank and replenished to maintain a defined level required for flushing the toilet. Thus, these systems (so-called “running toilets”) waste water unless a perfect seal is maintained, and also may be annoying from the standpoint of creating unnecessary noise while periodically replenishing the tank. Such leaking rubber seal may not be problematic for a single isolated toilet, however, if several apartment buildings, hotels, manufacturing facilities, hospitals, etc. in the aggregate have hundreds of toilets, and if a number of the toilets are leaking water, the result is significant water waste.
Furthermore, these toilets require manual cleaning, e.g., utilizing a bristle brush and cleaner, because scale and/or waste products become deposited on the toilet bowl after multiple uses. The low flow toilets, such as one and half gallons as compared to three gallons flush standard toilet system, have similar or greater manual cleaning problems.
Another known toilet is a non-tank fed low flow toilet (e.g., 1.6 gallon) that directly connects to a standard water line and uses a mechanical system to control the amount if water for a single flush. However, this system is very noisy, subject to leakage, and its estimate of water may be inexact which results in water waste.
Finally, other electronically controlled toilet systems evidenced in the prior art have additional features such as heated seats, hot water cleaning, blow drying, reading lamps, etc., but do not address the need for a toilet having a very low flow water capability with a improved toilet bowl clearing and cleaning functionality.
Thus, apparatus and methods are needed for a hygienic system which overcomes the disadvantages of the known toilets described above. For instance, the proposed system needs, inter alia, increased reliability, e.g., minimize the need for a perfect seal, reduce or improve cleaning ability, reduce or minimize clogging of the toilet and ability for reduced water flush requirements as well as to provide additional advantages over conventional toilets.